Point guard McMillan out; Akol coming soon

Point guard Dwan McMillan, who signed with USF in April and was expected to push veteran Chris Howard for a starting job this season, has not been cleared to attend summer classes at USF and likely won't play for the Bulls this season.

USF's incoming players report to campus today, with classes starting Monday, but McMillan won't be among that group because of incomplete academic records from this past school year at St. Benedict Prep in New Jersey. McMillan said Wednesday he is working to clear up issues regarding fifth-year classes, but didn't know whether they would be resolved in time to join the Bulls this season.

"My stuff didn't clear yet. I think it should be clear before summer's over," McMillan said. "I think it's going to happen for me, but it might be too late. I'm quite sure I am going to be cleared, and I want to come to South Florida."

Coach Stan Heath acknowledged a "small window for the future" for McMillan, but said for now, he's not coming to USF. Heath said that the summer session is "really necessary" for incoming players and said he'll be confident entering the season with Howard at point guard, as well as Dominique Jones and Mike Mercer and freshman Gaby Belardo, who have point guard experience as well.

Heath said junior college would be an option, and said he would put in a good word to other coaches if McMillan can find another college where he would not have the same academic hurdles to clear.

There is good news, however, on power forward Teeng Akol, who took college entrance exams for the first time this month and could have a score by today. Akol, reached Tuesday, said "I am positive I did well" and expects to join his USF teammates for summer classes next week. Once his test scores are in, USF can formally sign him to a grant-in-aid and count him as part of the incoming class.

Heath announced USF's 12-game non-conference schedule Wednesday, with the biggest news being a game at Virginia on Nov. 19 that starts a home-and-home series, with the Cavaliers coming to Tampa in 2009. The Bulls open their season at home against SMU, bringing former UNC and Florida Atlantic coach Matt Doherty. We'd previously reported USF's involvement in the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico, as well as the Bulls' game against Vanderbilt in Nashville as part of the SEC-Big East Invitational.

The home dates? Let's just say there are nine compelling Big East games in the Sun Dome, and the nonconference games should ... build confidence for a Bulls team that will have a lot of chemistry to build in a short amount of time with more newcomers than returning players.

Here are the five home opponents: SMU (8-20 last year, RPI 266), High Point (13-14, 231), Northeastern (14-17, 170), Niagara (19-10, 116) and Iona (12-20, 225). Niagara won't be nearly as good, as top scorer Charron Foster (27.6 ppg) graduated. So expect five USF nonconference wins at home, with tough games at Virginia and UAB and a telling game at UCF in December.

Lastly, yes, USF is being mentioned among the schools being considered by Jordan Crawford, a 6-foot-4 guard who is transferring from Indiana after one season. He averaged 9.7 points per game as a Hoosier, hitting 36 percent of his 3-pointers, and has several connections with USF that make the Bulls a viable option. He's from Detroit, and as the Jordan Dumars commitment has shown, Heath is still well-connected there and knows Crawford and his family. Bulls assistant Reggie Hanson coached his brother Joe at Kentucky, and Crawford attended the same Virginia prep school, Hargrave Military Academy, where incoming freshman Eladio Espinosa played this past season. All those things get USF in the door, and the Bulls now have a scholarship available, but they're in tough competition with other major programs closer to home for Crawford, who is still in the process of choosing his options.

Comments

[702JV]

G.A., I am glad you posted that yourself because ucfrocks was probably working on it

[G.A.]

Just to beat you guys to this, my name is actually Greg and not Gaylord.

[Roadrunner]

For the record that is not a slur but a loving reference to the great pitcher Gaylord Perry and the professional wrestler Jeff Gaylord.

[The Champ]

My bad I meant to say the Sommet Center.I'm just use to Memorial gym where Vandy usually plays.I kind of liked when it was called the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

[The Champ]

If the game is at Memorial then that ups the percentage that I will go.Ofcourse I though I would be taking a weekend off to go see my Yankees play in Houston but somehow someway my fun weekend gets ruined by something unforeseen.I don't get to attend alot of the sporting events, basketball, football, baseball, boxing, and wrestling.However I pick out about six events I want to attend per year and going to Nashville to watch USF beat Vandy is one of the six.

[Reality]

GA, is the problem with McMillan from before his time with the Gray Bees? I can't imagine St Bene's having issues with the clearinghouse, they are not a diploma mill like most of the programs having problems. Or did he need too many classes made up and the new rules limited Dwan? If USF's people can't get him qualified, I dont think anyone can. Good luck in Juco, Dwan!

[G.A.]

Vandy game is downtown, not at Memorial. I get blocked by the comment filters sometimes and it's my own blog, so don't take it too personally. ...

[Bull Hooper]

i think the nashville game is downtown, we can go see some damn fine country music after the game at roberts western world. why am i getting spam filtered?

[Bull Hooper]

Champ, I will be at the Vandy game as well, are you sure it's at the Memorial Gym, and not the Sommett Center?

[The Champ]

The Vanderbilt game is of great interest to me because I plan on attending, but Heath seems to have their number and he knows how to coach at their gym where the bench is below the baseline instead of on the sideline like normal.Teams have often struggled with the configuration when they first play there.Vandy lost a lot, but their people are excited about the recruiting class coming in.

That will be Mercer's 2nd game and probably Gilchrist's as well.Hopefully the jitters will have been taken care of in the previous game

[The Champ]

Highlights of Crawford against UK and his brother Joe who he is better then according to most.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPyE1S-b19I&feature=related

[The Champ]

Jordan Crawford can play either the 1 or 2 position as well.Averaged 19.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game at Hargrave where Coach Keatt coaches.He and Stan have mutual respect for one anther.

Just like Mercer, Crawford is the proven commodity having had success playing on the high major level so we know what he will be ready to come in and contribute immediately where ever he goes.

If USF has a chance to sign Crawford then he should be a top priority above pretty much anyone else that they are recruiting for the '09 class.He is the sure thing.

[AGW]

I am kind of glad McMillan did nto qualify. Not that I dont think that he is a good PG or player, but Im not really sold that he was a BE starter. However, I am more certain that Dago Pena or Jordan Crawford are. If not, we can carry over the scholly to next year. Plus, I think Belardo is better served as a PG in the future for us anyway, no need for 2 PG's in the same class.

[RR]

Foot, that is.

[RR]

"Another one bites the dust."

Hard to get excited about football & basketball signing when such a high percentage fail to ever actually set foor on campus.